Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Oooh oooh pick me! I vaguely recall posting a thread last year that was titled something like "I take back any advice I ever gave anyone on coping with morning sickness" coz nothing helped at all! I had HG with Maya and had to be hospitalised for IV fluids, hat it again with the gremlins but avoided hospital by the very skin of my teeth - instead I spent a few hours at the GP's rooms hooked up to IV fluids every few days coz I didn't want to go to hospital and leave Maya.

Things I found helped a little were Mizone sports water in small amounts (altho after a couple of weeks I couldn't tolerate it anymore ) and lemonade iceblocks stayed down OK - apparently by sucking on an iceblock the fluid is being taken in slowly so more likely to stay down. I guess you could make them out of fruit juice as well? I also drank a lot of ribena, don't know why but it too seemed to stay down.

I found it was worst during the first 12 weeks, altho with the gremlins I threw up at least once a day until they were born, but after about 12 weeks I would get up, get sick and then feel ok (a little nauseous but nothing compared to early on) for the rest of the day aslong as I ate fairly reglarly. If I missed a snack/meal I would get sick again. I was given Maxalon shots and Stematil (sp) suppositories coz nothing oral would stay down.

I also had something called ptyelism which is part of HG, constant saliva production, so everywhere I went I had to take a box of tissues. Was going thru a box a day. Smells really set me off too. I still can't use Sunlight dishwashing detergent or Persil Sensitive washing liquid coz the smell triggers nauseous memories, and greasy take away smells were the worst.

The only other advice I can give is to stay in bed as much as you can. I found the time passed more quickly when I could sleep. And hang on in there - even if it lasts for the whole 9 mths (and unfortnately HG often does ) as soon as bubs is out you will feel 100% again. It's apparently the hCG that causes HG so once your levels drop post birth you get to feel normal again. I say that coz at about 7 mths with Maya I remember thinking I'd never ever feel normal again.

Big hugs - it totally sucks! I still get jealous of people who sail thru their pregnancies!

I know Clare went thru something similar so I'm sure she will have more advice, and I will try to find my old post and bump it coz there might be some more ideas there.

Hope this helps - even if just to let you know that you're not alone, and it does pass!

Hey there, let me say first up that I totally totally comisserate with you, and hope you are feeling better really soon. HG is absolutely hideous and if you are one of the unlucky ones like me and Emma who suffer with it daily for your entire pregnancy it can get to the point where you wonder if you will ever feel good again. Big hugs!!! I have to be honest here and say that really the only thing that helped me at all was a presciption drug called Maxolon. I started taking it at 12 weeks after losing I think it was 14kgs and being put on a drip twice. There were certain things that I could keep down, frozen, watered down apple juice being one, and plain white rice with the sauce from a chicken casserole (none of the meat or veges though). You will find things that you can tolerate - and probably end up sticking with them through your whole pregnancy (I've not had apple juice since Joshua was born!!) The thing I found the worst was the fact that the nausea was constant - it NEVER went away. I used to lay in bed wishing that I could have just one day where I could feel ok, and be able to eat normally. I banned all things that were perfumed from my house - no smelly deodorants, perfumes, soaps, sprays, flowers - and the smell of meat cooking sent me right over the edge so my poor DP went without meat for weeks on end! Hence, I will not be having any more babies - I could not go through a whole other pregnancy like that.

So I guess my advice would be - get the maxolon - the benefits, in my honest opinion, totally outweigh the risks. Find a nice drink that you like, nibble on plain food, sleep as much as you can, spend a lot of time in the bath - and pray that it will pass soon!!

Take care, I look forward to hearing how things go for you

hey guys, sorry havent replied, i got put in hopsital (again!!) this week, so far i have lost only 7kgs and i hope thats all i loose! I asked for maxalon because the vomiting was getting so violent and i had no energy to cope with it, well anyway i had an "adverse reaction" to it, it made me incredibly irratated anxious and twitchy! so they have given me another drug (at first i refused all drugs, but once they physically showed me reports to say it wouldnt harm baby i had to have it) its called "Ondansetron" and works like a dream, for 12 hours i get very little nausea and no vomiting, the only problem is im only allowed 12 tablets a month! but hopefully it will subside by then and i wont need the pills everyday.
Maya, thanks for the offer of the motion sickness bands, i already have them and they dont work for me either!! I also find i cant have anything sweet, like jelly, chocolate, etc, which i suppose i dont really need anyway!
anyway thanks for all your help guys, hopefully i wont be going back to hospital until baby is due!
will keep you posted

Hey guys, have found if i constantly snack throughout the day, that im fine!! i havent thrown up at all today!! its the first day in 3weeks that i havent thrown up once! still feel v queasy if i dont eat but once i feel nauseas i just eat and it goes away. i have also found fruity yogurt 1st thing in the morning is great and sipping water through day and night is great, so im hoping that because i have had hell through the last 6weeks that im now going to have the loveliest pregnancy from here on in.
thanks for all your advice guys, some has really really worked!

Hi MyBelly

Sorry I didn't see your post at first - I was hooked up to an IV in hospital at the time. I too am a first time Mum-to-be, who kept telling herself I'm not sick, just pregnant and had major trouble keeping food and liquid down. Like you I tried a multitude of food and drinks and stuuck to whatever I could as long as I could. I potentially lost 7 kg in 2.5 weeks, and am still not back to the weight I was when I visited my MW 4 weeks ago! I guess I am lucky that a combo of things are working for me and I think (fingers crossed) that I'm over the worst of it. *Big Hugs* to you cos I know how 'pleasant' this can be.

Yeah, this HG has put me off ever having another child, everyone i tell that to however states "oh you just wait until your holding that baby in your arms" but i truly dont think itl make any difference, i am truly fine with my decision that this will be my one and only baby!
on the other side of things, im sick again today, i gues i spoke too soon! im thinking maybe i have a good day bad day syndrome, or something like that!!

I've made the decision not to have another baby. Everyone keeps telling me not to be so stupid, but seriously - I could not put myself through another 9 months of HG - vomiting everyday, unable to eat more than a few mouthfuls, unable to go out without carrying sick bags with me, burning my aesophogus from vomiting, having pee the colour of fanta.... I LOVE my son, and I would not change him for anything, but there is no way I could be pregnant again in case it happened again......